'Nitin Garg's killing is an act of immaturity'

June 06, 2011 12:47 IST

The lawyer of a 16-year-old boy, who has pleaded guilty to killing Indian student Nitin Garg, told a court in Melbourne that the murder was a result of immaturity of his client believed to be on of the youngest persons in Victorian state of Australia to commit the crime.

At a plea hearing in the Victorian Supreme Court, Defence lawyer Marcus Dempsey told the Supreme Court, "At 15 and a half, it seems (he) is one of the youngest people in this state to commit the offence of felony murder."

He saidhis client comes from a "much loved" background.

The lawyer said that despite phone intercepts recording the boy boasting the killing, there was remorse and the unintentional murder was a result of his immaturity and a spontaneous attempted robbery of Nitin Garg's mobile phone.

Prosecutors

have told the court that he discussed a potential alibi with his parents before his arrest.

Justice Paul Coughlan described the case as "desperately sad". He will be sentenced at a later date.

"It's a desperately sad case from everyone's point of view," Justice Paul Coghlan said adding, "How a young man of this background finds himself here is just sad really."

The boy, whose identity has not been revealed, pleaded guilty to murder in April and is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison.

He stabbed the 21-year-old Garg as he walked to work through a park in Yarraville in January last year. Garg's murder had sparked outrage in India.